LaQuan Smith, 26

Fashion designer

When he was 4 years old, Smith started drawing fashion models wearing feather and lace outfits. Rejected by FIT and Parsons, he learned to sew from his grandmother and created his first clothing line in his bedroom in Queens, NY. He has since dressed Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Dakota Fanning, Avril Levine, Nicki Minaj and Kim Kardashian. His line of sexy women's wear with plenty of mid-driff-baring lace, grossed $500,000 last year, wth no debt.